Compliance Monitoring
Water and Wastewater Quality Laboratory
The City of Ocala's Compliance Monitoring Division works out of Water Reclamation Facility # 2, located at 4200 SE 24 Street in Ocala. The staff consists of a manager, 7 full time technicians and 1 part time technician.
This division includes a state and nationally accredited laboratory, which conducts sampling and analysis for the City's drinking and wastewater facilities. Results are used not only for process control at the facilities, but also for compliance reporting to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health. Technicians also perform ground water monitoring to insure the safety of the environment and the public at areas were reclaimed water is being used.
The Compliance Monitoring Division administers the city’s potable water wellfield protection (PWWP) program the FDEP required Industrial Pretreatment Program. This program is responsible for the monitoring of commercial sewer users to ensure that they are complying with all state and federal wastewater discharging regulations-that they are not discharging anything that may jeopardize the safety of water & sewer department personnel, the public or ultimately our environment. An oil & grease monitoring program requires all commercial kitchens to properly maintain their grease interceptors and to pay their fair share for the added load that they contribute to the wastewater treatment process.
The City of Ocala's Compliance Monitoring Division
"Protecting the health and welfare of the citizenry of Ocala, the environment and the drinking water supply"
Wastewater Collection and Treatment
Industry, households and commercial establishments discharge wastewater into a system of drains, pipes and pumping stations (a sewer collection system) that channel the flow to the water reclamation facilities (WRF). At theplants, these waters are treated and discharged into the environment. Solids removed from the wastewater during treatment are either disposed of or recycled.
What is Industrial Wastewater?
Industrial wastewaters, unlike wastewaters that comes from domestic and commercial sources, often contain toxic, hazardous, or otherwise incompatible wastes.
It is the responsibility of theComplianceMonitoring Division to monitor and regulate the discharge of these wastewaters.
Problems that Industrial Wastewater can cause the sewer system and its workers!
Industrial wastewater monitoring programs are implemented by the municipal authorities operating the sewer collection systems and the WRFs. These programs are needed to eliminate several serious problems that can occur when industrial wastewaters are discharged into the sewer systems.
- Toxic industrial pollutants may pass through the WRFs, polluting the environment, posing a threat to aquatic, animal and human health.
- Toxic industrial wastes may interfere with operation of the WRFs, rendering treatment of the other wastes less effective.
- Industrial wastes containing high levels of toxic metal or organic compounds can contaminate sludge, making disposal options more expensive and more limited.
- Industrial wastes can corrode the pipes and equipment in the sewer collection system and the WRFs.
- Highly volatile wastes can explode, causing considerable damage.
- Some wastes may mix to produce toxic gases that pose health hazards to workers in the sewers and the WRF.